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THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES THE 2016 FRANKLIN INSTITUTE AWARDS LAUREATES IMPROVING OUR WORLD AND INSPIRING THE NEXT GREAT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS AWARDS CEREMONY HELD THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 AT THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

PHILADELPHIA November 12, 2015 — Global breakthroughs in science and technology, and outstanding business leadership are vital to improving our world. Recognizing these accomplishments is paramount to inspiring the next generation of great scientists, engineers, and leaders. The Franklin Institute is proud to announce the eight individuals who will be recognized for their contributions and honored with a prestigious Franklin Institute Award in 2016. The recipients join an extraordinary list of great men and women who have significantly improved our world with their pioneering innovations. From the discovery of exoplanets to an advancement in signal transmission that has shaped our ability to communicate both via cell phone and in deep space, from the design of modern microprocessors to the study of coastal sedimentary records to further understand the history of earthquakes and tsunamis, from the implementation of innovative drug delivery systems to the understanding of blood flow to better diagnose cardiovascular disease, the individuals who will be honored in Philadelphia have made enormous strides in their fields, improving the lives of millions of people across the world. The awards have publicly recognized and encouraged preeminent accomplishments in science and technology on an international level since the Institute was founded in 1824. Past laureates who have come to Philadelphia to receive their medals include Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, Jacques Cousteau, and more recently Jane Goodall, Dean Kamen, and Bill Gates. The 2016 Bower Award for Achievement in Science, which includes a $250,000 prize, one of the most significant scientific prizes in America, will be presented to William J. Borucki for providing scientific leadership for NASA’s Kepler space mission. This year, 2007 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics recipient Arthur McDonald joined 116 distinguished fellow Franklin Institute laureates who have also won the Nobel Prize. The Franklin Institute Awards Ceremony is the culmination of a weeklong series of events and programs designed to shine an important spotlight on advancements in science and technology, as well as extraordinary business leadership. In addition to an array of lectures and symposia throughout the week, educational programs for area high school students and public demonstrations are designed to provide direct and unprecedented access to the laureates. Bank of America returns in 2016 as Presenting Sponsor of the Awards Ceremony and Dinner. “The Franklin Institute Awards is one of the most important ways we continue the strong legacy set forth by Benjamin Franklin,” explains Larry Dubinski, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute. “These are some of the greatest minds and most influential pioneers of our time who are recognized here in Philadelphia for their accomplishments that will no doubt impact each and every one of us in some way, at some time. They are the Franklins of today, who will certainly help inspire the Franklins of tomorrow.” On Thursday, April 21, 2016, The Franklin Institute will celebrate science, technology, and business leadership by honoring the following pioneers for their monumental and critical achievements:

BOWER AWARD AND PRIZE FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE WILLIAM J. BORUCKI NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California For his vision and perseverance in developing techniques for measuring the brightness of stars to unprecedented accuracy, and for providing the scientific leadership for NASA’s Kepler space mission, which discovered thousands of planetary systems and demonstrated that Earth-sized exoplanets are as common as stars.

BOWER AWARD FOR BUSINESS LEADERSHIP PATRICK SOON-SHIONG, M.D., FRCS(C), FACS NantWorks Culver City, California For his visionary leadership in digital medical technology and for his commitment to improving health care quality and access through the initiatives of the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN CHEMISTRY NADRIAN C. SEEMAN, PH.D. New York University New York, New York For his conceptualization and demonstration that DNA can be used as a construction material that can spontaneously form sub- microscopic structures of diverse shapes and functions, with potential applications in disease treatment, mechanics, and computation.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN COMPUTER AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE YALE N. PATT, PH.D. University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas For his pioneering contributions to the design of modern microprocessors that achieve higher performance by automatically identifying computer instructions that can be performed simultaneously.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE BRIAN F. ATWATER, PH.D. U.S. Geological Survey University of Washington Seattle, Washington For his pioneering studies of coastal sedimentary records which revealed a history of great earthquakes and tsunamis in the Pacific Northwest over millennia and led to a vastly improved understanding of these hazards globally.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SOLOMON W. GOLOMB, PH.D. University of Southern California Los Angeles, California For pioneering work in space communications and the design of digital spread spectrum signals, transmissions that provide security, interference suppression, and precise location for cryptography; missile guidance; defense, space, and cellular communications; radar; sonar; and GPS.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN LIFE SCIENCE ROBERT S. LANGER, SC.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts

For his design and implementation of multiple innovative drug delivery systems, and for his founding work in the field of tissue engineering. As a serial entrepreneur, Dr. Langer established a new paradigm for translating academic ideas into practical products.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDAL IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SHU CHIEN, M.D., PH.D. University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California For contributions to the understanding of the physics of blood flow, and for applying this knowledge to better diagnose cardiovascular disease.

Honored with a regional Emmy® award, The Franklin Institute Awards: Declaration of Progress video illustrates the rich history of the 191-year-old Awards Program. For more information including photos, visit www.fi.edu/press/awards. Follow The Franklin Institute on Facebook (TheFranklinInstitute), Twitter (@TheFranklin), and Instagram (franklininstitute).

The Franklin Institute Founded in honor of America’s first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of America’s oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country. Today, the Institute continues its dedication to public education and creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology in ways that would dazzle and delight its namesake. Recognizing outstanding achievements in science throughout the world is one important way that the Institute honors its commitment to Benjamin Franklin’s legacy. For more information, please click here.